How Hetfield relies on fans

James Hetfield admits he isn't always in the right frame of mind for a gig and says he relies on the audience to help him through the show.

The Metallica frontman says he makes eye contact with a member of the crowd whenever he needs a boost – and adds that the trick never fails. Watch the full interview below.

He tells Hitradio 03: “I mean, we’re all human, and sometimes we feel very communicative and sometimes we don’t. But most of the time, if I’m not feeling good and then we get up on stage, I just look at somebody in the eye and just say, ‘Hey, I need your help tonight.’

“I mean, I’m not asking them directly, but through the eyes I’m asking them, ‘I need your help.’ And they give it to me, somehow.”

The band last month made a new track, Lords Of Summer, available for digital download.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.